George Washington, Father of His County?

March 27, 2015 8:55 PM

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Washington counties around the country compete on the claim of ‘first in the nation’ to be named after the Founding Father

HAGERSTOWN, Md.—George Washington may have slept in your town, but Maryland’s Washington County has a more compelling link to the father of our country: It was the first U.S. county to be named after him.

The book 'George Washington's Sacred Fire' contains the following passage quoting Nellie Custis, their granddaughter, whom George and Martha raised: (page 721) - " General Washington had a pew in Pohick Church and one in Christ Church in Alexandria.. he attended.. when the weather and roads permitted a ride.. no one in the church attended to the service with more reverential respect...I should have thought it the greatest heresy to deny his firm belief in Christianity. His life, his writings prove that he was a Christian. He communed with his God in secret...Gen. Washington always received the sacrament with my grandmother before the Revolution... his mottoes were.. 'Deeds, not words' and 'For God and my country'. The difference between the 'sacred fire' of liberty ignited by the American Revolution and the wild fire of the French Revolution, which led to societal chaos, are striking.

Some "historian" says that Washington didn't believe in an afterlife and you accept it as fact but Mount Vernon's own website states the opposite:"While it is possible that he did not believe in a doctrinally Christian heaven, it is also possible that he was careful about whom he referred to in mentioning a joyful afterlife. Washington did reference a coming judgment, indicating some future meeting with "the Creator." In addition, he was also a Freemason, whose tenets require belief in the afterlife."

The bad news is that many history students in US public schools could name the first president of the USA.... Their answer is: Can I get on my smart phone and look it up or does he have a facebook page so we can check it out ????I believe sometime ago, I think Jay Leno did one of his "Jay walks" and he showed pictures of some famous people in history... George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, etc.. The answers coming from peoples mouths were just frightening....

A bit off-subject, but when the story mentions that Washington knew that places were being named for him I was reminded that he also knew that the capital city was being named after him. It was well under construction in his later years and being referred to as "Washington City." But he would never be so immodest as to complain. ;)

I'm re-watching MHCs American Revolution.Yes --- it is a retread from The History Channel, but I already know to have my bias filter on for those clowns.Point being, I still can't get enough on Washington. Always some new (for me) tidbit of info that pops up on GW, that amazes !